By Times Staff and Wire Reports
Published September 13, 2003
PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland officials will not submit a bid to host the Montreal Expos next season, and instead will focus on a proposal to permanently bring the team to the city.
Working on a proposal to host the team on an interim basis would divert time and resources from the city's ultimate goal, Mayor Vera Katz said in a statement.
Portland, Washington and northern Virginia are vying for the relocation of the Expos. The state Legislature bolstered Portland's bid by passing a bill that would finance part of a new stadium for the team.
City officials have considered a provisional bid to bring the Expos to Portland for next season. But because the legislation does not completely pay for a new stadium, there is no guarantee the team would stay.
Commissioner Bud Selig said baseball's relocation committee has not ruled out any option for next season. Those include finding a buyer, playing all home games in Montreal, or playing a split home schedule between Montreal and San Juan or Montreal and Monterrey, Mexico.
Fox takes Saturday break
Fox will not televise a Saturday Game of the Week until Sept. 27, due to an earlier decision to avoid the typical ratings drop this month.
Fox, not anticipating baseball would produce some of the more exciting pennant races in recent history, televised two games earlier than usual - in April and May.
BLUE JAYS: The team is offering flights to spring training in Dunedin to season-ticket holders who pay before Dec. 2. More than 700 took advantage last spring.
BRAVES: Reliever Darren Holmes, sidelined since Aug. 6 with a sore shoulder, was activated from the disabled list.
BREWERS: Second baseman Rickie Weeks, the No. 2 overall draft pick, was called up from Class A Beloit. Weeks, from Southern University, batted .358 with one home run and 20 RBIs in 21 games with Beloit and the Brewers' rookie league team.
INDIANS: Outfielder Milton Bradley pleaded innocent to charges of speeding and fleeing when an officer tried to ticket him. Bradley was driving 52 mph in a 25 mph zone on Aug. 30, according to a police report. He was issued a speeding citation, but refused it and drove away, according to the report. Bradley called police the next day and picked up the ticket.
MARLINS: Third baseman Mike Lowell, sidelined with a broken left hand since Aug. 30, says he hopes to return for the final two games of the regular season. Lowell was examined by a hand specialist and was told the injury is healing properly.
MARINERS: Designated hitter Edgar Martinez left Friday's game after fouling a pitch off his broken big toe. Martinez fell after fouling a pitch onto his left foot in the fifth. He completed the at-bat, hitting a sacrifice fly. Martinez broke his toe Sept. 6 when the same thing happened: He fouled a pitch that struck his left foot.
METS: The team purchased the contract of first baseman Mike Glavine, brother of pitcher Tom Glavine, from Triple-A Norfolk. Glavine, 30, batted .266 with five home runs and 17 RBIs this season. He has never played in the majors. "I was always the stick boy on his hockey team and the bat boy on his baseball team, trying to catch up to him, trying to be the same thing," Mike Glavine said. "He would always beat me down and never let me win."
ORIOLES: Struggling left-hander Damian Moss was pulled from the rotation. He is 1-4 with a 5.48 ERA in eight starts since being obtained in the trade the sent Sidney Ponson to San Francisco.
RED SOX: The team purchased the contract of outfielder Adrian Brown from Triple-A Pawtucket and designated right-hander Steve Woodard for assignment. Brown batted .282 with five homers, 32 RBIs and 34 steals, with a team-best 81 runs.
TWINS: Third-base coach Al Newman was expected to remain hospitalized in Chicago for another week after a brain hemorrhage. Team spokesman Mike Herman said Newman had a small case of pneumonia but that additional neurological tests were negative.
